Recently, I had a brief conversation (as I sometimes do) with a few folks about why I prepare and why I bother spend so much time and money on it. Rather quickly, someone said it was because I “didn’t want to die” or something like that and, while true, I suggested preparing isn’t about THAT.

Honestly, very few Americans actually die from disaster. We’re talking in the hundreds (and occasionally thousands) per year. Here’s a list of disasters by death toll, if interested. (The biggest in recent history was 9/11 by the way, though Hurricane Katrina was a close second.)

In my opinion, being prepared isn’t about not dying. It is, however, about one thing: having OPTIONS!

It’s simple math, really. Having nothing to rely upon and no plans to deal with disasters means you’re more likely going to be forced into a bad situation, one that you probably do not want to be in.

Having No Supplies Means…

If you have no supplies or gear to rely upon then it means you’re forced

I’m sure many people say “who cares” if you can’t vacuum your carpets during SHTF? I mean, REALLY!? Odds are you’ve got more pressing problems to worry about than dirty carpets. But, remember that dirt brings disease and the cleaner you can keep yourself and your home the less likely it is that you or a family member will get sick… plus it will give the kids something to do when their video games don’t work, lol.

I’d also suggest that this is a great reason to put in hardwood, laminate, or tile floors where possible. If you can’t afford to do so then either limit access to carpeted rooms where possible or add this to your preps…

If you haven’t started rainwater harvesting because you’re afraid to get it wrong these seven suggestions will help you for sure! The author talks about saving money, getting the flow right, keeping the bugs out, and more.

Finally, I couldn’t agree more with his rationality for choosing to collect rainwater, after all, water is among the most critical needs we have and is, in my opinion, among the most overlooked of resources most folks do nothing about until it’s too late…

“Harvesting rain water should be a priority for any serious prepper or gardener.

Did you ever go on a long hike, then find yourself parched with thirst? The need for water catches up with you quickly.

If the city water or your well shut down for a week, would you be able to survive or would your house become unlivable? Stockpiling guns, gold and food is a good idea – but having a way to hold on to water is of paramount importance.

This is a long video but quite interesting nonetheless. Unfortunately, it takes a lot of effort to make this particular blanket but doing so could be very useful to you for a bug out or for general backpacking use.

You can skip to about the 8:15 mark to get to the heart of the blanket idea, though he does cover some of the details of the blanket and bag that he made for it in the beginning of the video if interested. Last at about the 15:20 mark he heads out into the woods and begins to demo his ultimate survival blanket in a handful of different ways which I found quite interesting as well…

He discusses several Leatherman multi tools and seems to prefer the . Personally, I like the (his second choice) but, to be honest, they’re all useful in certain situations and, so, it’s really up to you which one to go with. That said, he briefly discusses the differences between the various popular models so you can better choose which would be best for you…

Ever wonder what you should do to prepare for a dirty bomb or, Heaven-forbid, nuclear war? How about treatment of radiation exposure? If not, you should have some clue about what you can and should do to both treat the victim as well as to minimize exposure to yourself as well.

With that in mind, the following article offers quite a bit of good advice and plenty of links to further your knowledge about proper treatment of radiation exposure. It also explain what to expect during the days and weeks after exposure and, of course, offers several items to include in your treatment kit…

“…My kit started in 2008 before I became a prepper after attending a compulsory Canadian Government conference for a few days on the Medical Emergency Treatment for Exposures to Radiation (METER) . I am sure some of you have had more recent training and I’d love to read about USA and UK equivalent training. The course enrolment in 2008 was managers of trauma hospitals and emergency services

Paul Wheaton really loves his rocket mass heaters and so it stands to reason that he would make a rocket mass smoker / cooker at some point, lol. I’m assuming this is rather efficient since it employs the rocket mass heater design but I’m only guessing here since he didn’t specifically say so.

Anyway, keep this idea filed in the back of your head for SHTF since this could be a great way to preserve meat or just as an efficient cooker. Skip to about the 0:40 mark to bypass the intro and get to the smoker…

I almost always use alkaline batteries for most my gear but keep plenty of rechargeable batteries for around the house and SHTF use. What about lithium batteries, you ask? Well, I have some of these too but tend to “save” them for my emergency gear stashes, such as in bug out bags, because they can be relied upon to work when needed. (.) Here’s 6 reasons why you should choose lithium batteries for your emergency gear needs as well…

“Lithium batteries may be considered a best choice for the most common type of consumer battery (AA-size) (and other sizes!) when used in emergency applications. That is, in a electronic device whereby you need the assurance that it will function at its full potential under harsh conditions and perhaps after having not been used for a very long time.

Here is a list of reasons why lithium batteries are the best:

Lithium batteries are becoming much more common and are now readily available as a replacement for the common alkaline-AA

Developing bug out routes is a must for any prepper and being able to travel relatively easily in any cardinal direction is a must since you never know which way you’ll be forced to travel. This is an interesting take on the idea of developing alternate bug out routes using power lines, pipelines, and railroads to stay off the beaten path which is, in my opinion, nearly as important…